'Tesco Soup Cans' by Banksy, 2006
Rare official Banksy-produced release with publisher Pictures on Walls.
33.1 x 23.2 Inches
84 x 59 Centimeters
38.6 x 27.4 x 1.2 Inches (framed)
Offset lithograph on satin poster art paper.
Limited Edition of 2000 (Sold Out).
Printed BANKSY signature-logo in blue, bottom right.
Copy of original purchase receipt included.
Excellent original condition.
*Note: Professionally custom framed in archival white top matte, black secondary matte, fine art glass and white hardwood molding.
ABOUT THE ART
Banksy is one of the world's most influential and enigmatic contemporary street artists, internationally recognized for his provocative stencil-based imagery, dark humor and incisive social commentary. Emerging from Bristol's underground graffiti scene in the 1990s, the anonymous British artist has become a global cultural phenomenon, challenging political institutions, consumer culture and the commercialization of art through an unmistakable visual language.
"Tesco Soup Cans" (2006) is a particularly clever example of Banksy's ability to appropriate familiar imagery and transform it into pointed social satire. The composition features 25 identical cans of Tesco Value Cream of Tomato Soup, arranged in a precise five-by-five grid against a stark white background. The repetition, minimal palette and instantly recognizable packaging create a direct visual connection to one of the most celebrated works in modern art history.
The composition pays unmistakable homage to Andy Warhol's iconic "Campbell's Soup Cans" (1962), the landmark series of 32 paintings that helped establish American Pop Art as a major artistic movement. Where Warhol elevated the familiar imagery of mass-produced consumer goods into fine art, Banksy substitutes the inexpensive, no-frills packaging of British supermarket chain Tesco's economy Value range.
The substitution is central to the work's humor and cultural commentary. By replacing Warhol's quintessentially American Campbell's brand with one of Britain's most recognizable budget supermarket products, Banksy simultaneously references Pop Art history and introduces questions of class, consumerism, economic inequality and the relationship between artistic value and everyday commodities.
The work also reflects Banksy's longstanding interest in the commercialization of art itself. Warhol's transformation of ordinary soup cans into highly prized museum objects becomes the foundation for another layer of irony, as Banksy reimagines the same concept through the deliberately unglamorous visual identity of discount groceries.
"Tesco Soup Cans" was released as an offset lithograph poster through Pictures on Walls (POW), the influential London-based print publisher closely associated with Banksy and numerous leading figures in the British street art movement. Established as an accessible platform for contemporary urban art, Pictures on Walls played an important role in bringing collectible works by street artists to a wider audience.
Produced in a limited edition of 2,000 copies, the poster measures approximately 33.1 × 23.2 inches (84 × 59 cm) and was printed on satin-finish poster paper. The composition features the printed Banksy logo in blue along the lower-right margin, distinguishing the publication from unauthorized reproductions.
Although the artwork originated in 2006, the poster is associated with the 2006–2017 period of Banksy and Pictures on Walls publishing activity. The edition is now sold out, and surviving examples with documented purchase history offer additional interest to collectors.
This example is accompanied by a copy of its original purchase receipt, providing supporting documentation of its acquisition history. The poster remains in very good to excellent original condition.
A memorable intersection of British street art and American Pop Art, "Tesco Soup Cans" exemplifies Banksy's talent for using humor, appropriation and familiar consumer imagery to question cultural values. Its connection to Warhol's celebrated soup-can imagery, recognizable British subject matter and association with Pictures on Walls make it an appealing collectible for admirers of both artists and the broader history of contemporary art.
An excellent addition to collections of Banksy, Andy Warhol-inspired art, Pop Art, British street art and Pictures on Walls publications.